


Midnight Wandering

by robin_the_robo



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dealing With Trauma, Gaster just got out of the Void, Gen, Grillby is a good husband, Panic Attacks, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, fear of the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_the_robo/pseuds/robin_the_robo
Summary: "Grillby didn’t know exactly what was in the Void, or what the Void even was to begin with, but based on how damaged Gaster had come back from it, he assumed it must be something far beyond whatever his admittedly limited imagination could come up with.[...]It had been barely a week after Gaster had moved in with him when it happened for the first time"
Relationships: W. D. Gaster/Grillby
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	Midnight Wandering

Grillby didn’t know exactly what was in the Void, or what the Void even was to begin with, but based on how damaged Gaster had come back from it, he assumed it must be something far beyond whatever his admittedly limited imagination could come up with.  
This unfortunately meant that since the skeleton was either unwilling or unable to share what he had been through, Grillby was stuck figuring out on a case by case basis how to deal with the aftermaths of Gaster’s traumatic experience. 

It had been barely a week after Gaster had moved in with him when it happened for the first time:

Grillby felt the bed dip and the blankets shift, and he cracked one eye open. In the soft light that his own body cast around the room, he saw Gaster standing up, looking a bit shaken up but otherwise fine. 

“Where are you going?” he asked groggily, turning to give him a proper look. Gaster had been spacing out since he'd come back, so he wanted to make sure he was aware of what he was doing, but thankfully the skeleton immediately turned around, caught by surprise by Grillby’s voice.

“I just- I need a glass of water” the skeleton signed slowly “I’ll be back in a minute” 

Grillby, still mostly asleep, just nodded and drifted back to sleep.  
When he woke up again he wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it seemed to him that it had been longer than a minute, and he was still alone in bed.  
He waited another minute, staring up at the ceiling as concern welled up in his core with every second that passed. Gaster had looked fine, the light in his good eye socket hadn't been dim like it became when he wasn't fully there, and he had answered him!  
...He should've made sure.  
Finally, he stood up and made his way down the corridor, walking past Fuku’s bedroom where the teen slept peacefully, and then heading downstairs. He was still on the last step when he heard some sort of choked up noise coming from one side of the room. That’s when he saw Gaster, curled up in a corner as translucent tears streamed down his face.

“Gaster, what are you doing there?” he stepped closer, kneeling next to him to try to understand what the problem was. He didn’t seem hurt from what he could see, but he looked absolutely terrified. What had happened? 

“☠︎📫︎☠︎⚐︎📬︎📬︎📬︎ ✡︎⚐︎🕆︎🕯︎☼︎☜︎ ☠︎⚐︎❄︎ ☼︎☜︎✌︎☹︎📬︎ ☹︎☜︎✌︎✞︎☜︎✏︎” (N-no… you’re not real. Leave!)

“Dear, I can’t understand you if you don’t sign. What’s wrong?” Grillby tried to touch his shoulder, but Gaster squeezed himself farther into the corner, a sob leaving his nonexistent throat. 

“I don't want to go back. Please, please don’t make me go back” he managed to sign, his hands shaking so much that Grillby had some trouble making out what he was saying.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re safe” he said, but Gaster just shook his head 

“You’re not even real” 

“Of course I’m real! Gaster, what happened? You’re scaring me” 

“Don’t do this to me!” the skeleton signed with snappy movements, letting out another loud sob. This time he didn’t resist when Grillby scooped him up and hugged him tight.

“You’re safe. See? I’m holding you, I’m plenty real”

“It’s dark and it’s cold and I'm scared this isn’t real” Gaster signed. He looked exhausted. 

“Of course it is” Grillby shined brighter and fanned himself hotter, hoping it would make the skeleton nestled in his arms feel better “We’re in our house on the surface, and Sans and Papyrus are just a phone call or a ten-minutes drive away”

“We’re not. It’s impossible” 

“Here, how about I show you?” the elemental stood up, carrying Gaster in his arms, and made his way through the backdoor and into the backyard

“Look up, love” 

Gaster saw the stars above him and let out a small gasp, and Grillby had never been as thankful for the lack of light pollution in their area as in that moment. He walked to the swing bench and sat down, holding the skeleton in his lap. The wood was damp and it stung a bit through his pajama pants, but he could take it.  
After a while, Gaster signed again.

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t worry about it”

“No, really. I went downstairs, and it was dark, and suddenly I wasn't in the living room anymore. I didn’t even remember where I came from, or what I was supposed to be doing… I was back there. Back to not existing” he let out a frustrated sigh before continuing to sign “It wasn’t even pitch black, you can see the street lights through the windows!” 

Grillby held him a little tighter “We could leave some lights on around the house”

“You hate wasting electricity” 

“I hated seeing you like that way more”

Gaster didn’t reply. Instead, he rested his head on Grillby’s shoulder, deep in thoughts, and stared up at the night sky. After a minute he shivered and signed 

“I’m cold”

“Yeah, I think it’s time to go back to bed”

They stood up and headed back inside holding hands. One step at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> If things go according to plan, this might become part of a grillster-centric series going from the two of them meeting during the war to them getting reunited on the surface and going through their lives. We'll see!  
> In the meantime, thank you so much for reading this!


End file.
